Dong Gao

In this Chinese name, the family name is Dong.

qiduwei Dong Gao
Chief Grand Councillor
In office 1812–1818
Preceded by	Qinggui
Succeeded by	Tojin
Grand Councillor
In office 1779–1818
Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall
In office 1799–1818
Grand Secretary of the Eastern Library
In office 1796–1797
Minister of Revenue
In office 10 March 1787 – 6 November 1796 Serving with Cokto (until 1789), Bayansan (1789–1791), Fucanggan (since 1791)
Preceded by	Cao Wenzhi
Succeeded by	Fan Yiheng
Personal details
Born	1740 Fuyang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Died	1818 (aged 77–78)
Parent	Dong Bangda (father)
Education	Jinshi degree in the Imperial Examination
Occupation	politician, scholar, painter, calligrapher
Courtesy name	Zhelin (蔗林)
Posthumous name	Wengong (文ぶん恭きょう)

Dong Gao (董ただし誥, 1740–1818), courtesy name Zhelin (蔗林), was a Chinese politician, scholar, painter and calligrapher of the Qing dynasty.

Dong was the eldest son of Dong Bangda (董ただし邦くに達たち). He obtained the highest degree (jinshi) in the imperial examination and was selected a bianxiu (編修へんしゅう) of the Hanlin Academy in 1762. He had served as Secretary of Cabinet (內閣學士がくし), Junior Deputy Minister of Works (工こう部ぶ右みぎ侍さむらい郎ろう), Junior Deputy Minister of Revenue (戶部とべ右みぎ侍さむらい郎ろう), Senior Deputy Minister of Revenue (戶部とべ左ひだり侍さむらい郎ろう), acting Deputy Minister of Justice (署しょ理り刑部おさかべ侍さむらい郎ろう), Grand Councillor, Minister of Revenue and other positions. In 1776 he was made the vice editor for the Siku Quanshu, the largest collection of books in Chinese history. In 1777, he participated in the compilation of Researches on Manchu Origins. Since 1780 he was allowed to ride horse in the Forbidden City (賜たまもの紫むらさき禁城きんじょう騎馬きば). He had made an exceptional contribution in Pacification of Taiwan and Gorkha, thus his portrait was painted twice in the Hall of Military Merits, known as Ziguangge (紫むらさき光ひかり閣かく).

In 1802 he was awarded the hereditary rank "qiduwei" (騎き都と尉じょう). Since 1809 he was made the chief tutor of the Palace School (上書うわがき房總ぼうそう師傅しふ) for imperial princes, including the later Daoguang Emperor. He retired in 1818 and died in the same year.

Dong was described as an upright man. Sŏ Yu-mun (서유문, 徐じょ有ゆう聞), a Korean diplomat who had joined the Dongzhi Festival mission (동지사, 冬至とうじ使し) to Qing China as a Seojanggwan (서장관, 書狀しょじょう官かん, the third of the mission) in 1798, reported that "Heshen has been in power for decades. From the local government to the imperial court, almost every minister fawned over him. Wang Jie, Liu Yong, Dong Gao, Zhu Gui (朱しゅ珪), Ji Yun, Tiebao (鐵てつ保ほ), Yubao (玉たま保ほ) and others are exceptions."

Dong was also a painter, his paintings were highly prized by both Qianlong and Jiaqing Emperors, who frequently wrote colophons for them. His calligraphy was also highly praised. It is reported that when Qianlong Emperor became too old to write with facility not a little of the penmanship attributed to the Emperor was actually the work of Dong Gao.

Publications

• Manzhou yuanliu kao (滿まん洲しゅう源流げんりゅう考かんがえ, "Researches on Manchu Origins")
• Shouyi guangxun (授衣廣こう訓くん)
• Quantangwen (全ぜん唐から文ぶん)
• Xixun shengdian (西にし巡じゅん盛典せいてん)
• Qinding junqi zeli (欽定きんてい軍ぐん器き則そく例れい)
• Huangqing xuwen ying (皇すめらぎ清きよし續ぞく文ぶん穎)